Religious Studies

In this epigraphical commentary, the author examines the apostle Paul's first Epistle to the Thessalonians in the light of ancient inscriptions. He proposes new interpretations to better appreciate the significance of the letter in its socio-historical and epigraphic context.

Inter-congregational connections profoundly shaped the Pauline mission. Christoph W. Stenschke provides the first comprehensive analysis of these connections in the seven generally acknowledged authentic Pauline letters. He examines their various forms as well as their rhetorical function and historical plausibility within the epistolary context.

How did Christian communities across time and space engage with religious others? Informed by current debates on global history, the studies in this volume cover Eastern and Western Christian traditions stretching from the second to the twentieth century and portray Christianity as a fluid, relational, and globally entangled religion.

Onyekachi Ugwu analyzes the pericope of the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John through narrative and socio-historical criticism. He argues that, despite its contested transmission, it can be read as authentically Johannine - foreshadowing Jesus' own trial and his final victory over darkness.